Navigating the Current Political Environment
It is important to acknowledge that our current health care system was not designed to prevent illness or manage chronic disease, two issues that are at the heart of our health care crisis. Our shared vision has to have elements that are focused on:
- improving population health;
- reducing per capita cost; and
- improving the patient's experience, measured in health outcomes, safety and satisfaction.
The political gridlock comes about because we're asking the wrong questions. The entry level questions aren't 1) how do we preserve Medicare; 2) how do we fix Medicaid; or 3) what do we do about employer based insurance?
What we should be asking is this -
What would the optimal system look like that could improve population health, reduce per capita cost and improve the patient's experience regardless of their category, how care is financed, a person's age, income, race or gender?
We have to acknowledge that:
- Millions of jobs depend on the current structure of the health system and no one wants to lose their job.
- 1 of every 11 jobs in the US are in the health care sector;
- 1 of every 7 dollars in the US economy is related to health care.
- While 16% of Americans don't have health insurance, 84% do and they're not going to give up what they have without having a chance to fully consider what they would get in return.
- There is a lot of 'trapped equity' in the current system - buildings, technology and reimbursement, that no one is going to walk away from without making sure that their economic interests are addressed.
Once we acknowledge that we cannot politically or economically move from the current system to a new system overnight, then the dialogue shifts to what happens during a transition period.
Next: A Transition Period
